Local stores not stocking Holy Crap cereal

Local stores not stocking Holy Crap cereal

Holy Crap -- a new health-food cereal packed with omega-3s that got a nod of approval from Oprah's magazine and Dr. Oz-- may be flying off the shelves elsewhere but it doesn't appear to be available in Peterborough.

Yet. Jo Anne's Place Health Foods is ordering the cheekily named cereal because customers have been asking for it since its creators appeared on Dragons' Den last week. "We are ordering it but it hasn't come in yet," said employee Emily Reeson.

In St. Catharines a store called The Peanut Mill reports it hasn't been able to keep it on the shelves it is selling so quickly. The gluten-free, lactose-free cereal, which also offers omega-6s, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fibre and antioxidants, got a quick investment from one of the entrepreneurial show's stars: Jim Treliving, owner of the Boston Pizza chain.

Buzz from the CBC show, and perhaps the shocking name, is likely what sparked the interest for Jo Anne's Place customers, Reeson said. But she says both of Jo Anne's Peterborough locations, and its Lindsay location, already carry a similar product, called Ruth's Cereal, that offers omega-3s, omega-6s, fibre and the like. "It's double the size and half the price," she said.

People have been lining up to buy 225-gram Holy Crap pouches for nearly $11.50. Ruth's Cereal offers 340 grams for $6.75, Reeson said.

Unlike regular cereal that you heap into a bowl, a Holy Crap serving is only two tablespoons. It can be mixed with four tablespoons of milk, combined with yogurt or sprinkled on granola.

Kelcey's Nutrition Centre has never heard of Holy Crap, although the mere suggestion of it got some laughs from co-owner Kim Kelcey. "We have Burps and Gas (an enzyme that helps digestion) but not Holy Crap," Kelcey laughed. The Lakefield Pantry is surprised there has been no local demand for the cereal since it appeared on Dragons' Den, said owner Jenny Mackenzie. It might be a little pricey for customers, she said.

The Lakefield Pantry offers some of the cereal's ingredients, such as chia seed, so customers could make their own version, Mackenzie said. Other ingredients include hulled hemp hearts, organic buckwheat, organic cranberries, organic raisins, apple bits and organic cinnamon.

The Sechelt, B.C. creators of Holy Crap, though, seem to have perfected its taste. Moments after trying it on Dragons' Den, Treliving offered Corin and Brian Mullins $120,000 for 20% of their company.

The Main Ingredient, on Charlotte St., is waiting to see if there's customer demand before ordering it, said owner Ken Fraser. A supplier has been heavily pitching the product since its CBC appearance, he said, but he just wants to "wait and see." "It's from the West Coast, so shipping costs can kill you," he said.

Nutrition House, on Lansdowne St. W., has also never heard of Holy Crap. But manager Melissa Jolley couldn't stop laughing when The Examiner mentioned it by name.